US882300A

US882300A - Steam-heating system.

Info

Publication number: US882300A
Authority: US
Inventors: James A Donnelly
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1904-10-21
Filing date: 1904-10-21
Publication date: 1908-03-17
Anticipated expiration: 1925-03-17

Description

No. 882,300. PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908. J. A. DONNBLLY.

STEAM HEATING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

j'iyl.

' lIVI/E/VTOR j wzsm Maui ATTORNEY,

WITNESSES:

No. 882,300. PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908. J. A. DONNELLY.

STEAM HEATING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED 00121, 1904.

a sums-HEM 2.

gm WTNESLSZS:

9% Q2 WM? ing my steam heating system. Fig. 2 is a designate corresponding the several views.

1 system further is so designed as to be readily ator shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7.

steam main of the system, which main is conlow absolute pressure. "main S, branches lead to the venous sections branch returns R R etc.

heating system. Into each branch r'eturn JAMES A. DONNELLY,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STEAM-HEATING SYSTEM.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. DONNELLY, a citizen of the United States of America, and residing at.borough of Brooklynfcity of New York, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Steam-Heating Systems, of w ichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to a system of steam heating, and particularlyto a system utilnecessary to maintain a vacuum in the return. It is so designed as to reduce the steam in the return to a minimum, thereby maintaining a substantially uniform vacuum therein and also enabling thesize of the vacuum pump to be materially reduced. The

controlled by the person in charge and capable of adjustment to varying'conditions of weather. I p

- My invention will best be understood when'described in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustratsectional view of the pressure regulating valve employed. Fig. 3 is asectional view of an automatic impulse valve which may be used at the outlet of the primary radiating device. F ig: 4 is a sectional view illustrating the application of the automatic impulse valve shown in Fig. 3 to a combined rimary and auxiliary radiating device.

igs. 5, 6 and 7 are various forms of radiating devices. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view of the partition used in the base of the radi- Similar letters and nu-merals of reference parts throughout Referring now to Figs. 1, S designates the nectedto the exhaust from an engine or other steam apparatus, rejecting steam at a .From the steam of theheating. system, and the condensed water and air are discharged into a return mainR, connected to a pum Q, through-the F ig. 1 shows but two steam branches S,'and S, two return branches R R and but one section of the pipe 11 etc., isinserted a pressure regulating Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 21,

Patented March 17, 1908. 1904. Serial No. 229,410.

valve V in such a position as to be readily accessible to the engineer in charge. The function of this valve is to maintain a constant predetermined difference of pres sure between the supply S and the return R and also to act as mechanical means for the removal of air. The valve V is shown in detail in Fig. 2. 4

The letter B- designates the bodyor casing of'the valve V including the which closes the lower end. phragm 16 is inseterd between the ca 13 and the upper part of the body dividing the space in the valve body into an up er low pressure chamber and a-lower fiigh pressure chamber 18. A hollow U-shaped 4 projects into the globular partof t 1e valve body B and forms a discharge chamber 6 with an outlet 3, while the chamber 5 extending from the diaphragm into the globular part. of the valve body B has an inlet 2 to be connected to the fluid, the pressure of which is to be regulated.

In the partition 4 are formed two passages or openings 8 and 9 arranged in a vertical se arate cap 13 ii flexible diaartition line and controlled respectively by valve-' pieces 10 and 11 mounted u on a common valve-rod 12. The lower on of this valverod passes through the cap 13, which is the bottom of the valve body or casing, and is connected with a lever 14 having thereon an adjustable weight 15 which exerts a downward pull on the valve-rod. The chamber 18, formed by the cap and diaphragm is-connected by a small branch pipe 19 with the high pressure conduit S and constitutes the high ressure chamber. A suitable valve 20 may. e placed in the branch pipe 19.

Under normal working conditions, the valves 10 and 11 are always more' or less open, due tothe action of the weighted lever and the pressure on the upper face of the diaphra m 16, and it will-now be readily understoo that as the pressure in the pipe or con duit R or in the chamber 5 varies, the change of pressure on the diaphragm 16 will either increase or decrease thearea of the openings at the valves 10 and 11, thus permitting more'or less escape of fluid from the pipe or conduit, under the influence of a, vacuum pump. The same is true for variations of the pressure in the pipe or conduit S.

When the R falls,-the decreased area' 'of the 0 at the passages 8 and 9 will check t charge from the valve, thereby increasing enings e dispressure in the pipe orconduit the pressure at the inlet to the valve and maintaining the desired difference of pressure between the steam supply S and the return R When the pressure in the pipe or conduit R rises, the pressure on the upper side of the diaphragm 16 forces the same downwardly and increases the area of the passages 8 and 9. This causes an increased suction in the pipe or conduit R and the fluid is rapidly drawn out, thus diminishing the pressure in the pipe, and restablishing the desired difference of pressure. The degree of difference of pressure to be maintained is controlled by the position of the weight on the lever 14 and may be varied as conditions reciuire.

When the steam is supplied constanty at atmospheric pressure, the high pressure .primary radiatim device and has a yielding,"

chamber 18 may be opened to the atmosphere. I

In practice I place in the return pipe R near the valve V a strainer T to remove the dirt invariably present. This strainer is so constructed as to be readily removed for cleaning.

Between the steam supply S and the re-- turn R are placed the various radiating delet from the auxiliary radiating surface A is connected to the branch return R by the pipe r into which may be inserted a check valve E to prevent heating from the return. The pressure regulating valve V may be inserted into this pipe 1 as'shown at- D", af-

fording another means of control for that particular radiating device.

' In practice I prefer to use the automatic impulse valve in the connection between the primary and auxiliary radiating surfaces. This valve'is located on the outlet side of the weight ed valve piece 24 provided with an impact surface 25 beyond the. seat of the passage-way 23. It is caused to move away from its seat by the accumulated head of water of condensation and the impact of the issuing jet of water, thus gradual y opening the passage-way until the water of condensation is substantially discharged, when'it returns to itsnormal position in which it presents a minimum opening. The passage of steam through this valve is thus reduced to a minimum and a very regular and positive action is obtained. The valve as shown in Fig. 3 comprises a valve body or casing'I provided with a'removable top '5, and having an inlet 21 and an outlet 22. A. valve passage-way diators separate andrdistinct.

23 iscontrolled by a valve piece 24, preferably made conical in form and having an enlarged base 25 located beyond the passageway 23 and formed into a' suitable impact surface. The saidvalveieceis connected to one arm of a bell-crank lever 26 pivoted at 27, to a projection 28 of the valve casing. The other arm of the lever 26 is weighted to the desired amount by weights 29 held in position by the screw 30. In practice these weights are so adjusted that 'a niinimum restricted opening is left for the passage of air and of water of condensation under normal conditions. -When, however, there is an ac cumulation of water of condensation to a sufficient height to form a jet of water, the impact of the latter upon the in; act surface 25 the area of opening, thus increasing the jet' and furthering the outward movement until it is thrown wide, open. When the water is substantially discharged, the valve piece gradually closes under the action of the weights 29 until it resumes its normal position.

Should the opening through the valve become closed by dirt, the pressure due to the head of the accumulating water willmove the valve piece in op osition to the weights and cause the dirt an water to be blown out. This type of valve is designed to be used in connection with the previously described pressure regulating valve.

The radiating devices placed between the supply and the return may be of various forms and combinations as shown in Fig. 1. D illustrates the auxiliary and primary radiating devicescombined in one, an automatic impulse valve, substantiallysimilar to that shown in Fig.- 3 being laced in the base connection 28 between t e two parts as shown in Fig. 4. The valve passage way 23 is in this case formed in a piece 'i screwed into the base connection 28 and to which piece the lever 26 is pivoted carrying the valveiece 24 and weighted with the weights 29. 2 illustrates primary and auxiliary ra- D the same, the radiating devices being in coil form. D? illustrates the form shown in D Fig. 1, the check valve E-in the outlet ipe 1" being replaced by the pressure regu ating valvev A strainer Tis'placed ahead of this valve as in the case of the valve V.

' In order to further prevent the return pipe from being filled with steam, the radiating I devices may be so designed as to hold back and cool the water of condensation causing it to accumulate inthe base of the radiators or in a chamber placed-beneath the radiators. By this means the water is cooled a definite amount, depending upon the surface exposed. Various forms of these radiators are illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7.- Fig. 6 shows a radiator having a chamber a beneath it and connected at each end by a passage 1). Near the outlet end of this chambera partition p of the form shown in Fig. 8 is placed, the said partition p forming a trap for the water used, but allowing the air to pass out.

If the valve I, placed at the outlet of the primary radiator, be a thermostatic valve and situated on a level somewhat above the bottom of the chamber in the base of the ra diator D, Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the air as well as the water may be cooled a definite amount. The valve is set to open to the water and the air at the desired temperature. As the warm water cannot reach the valve directly because of the partition 10, it is cooled before reaching the therm ostatic valve, having been retained in the cooling chamber a sufficient time.

Fig. 7 shows the two chambers shown in Fig. 6 combined into one, and Fig. 5 the modification applied to both primary and auxiliary radiating devices.-

It is of, course to be understood that I do not limit myself to the particular form of valves or radiating devices employed, as my invention consists essentially in the combination of a primary and auxiliary radiator with means for establishing a controllable difierence of pressure between the supply to and the return from said combination of primary and auxiliary radiators.

In all vacuum systems, it is essential to maintain the absolute pressure of the steam in the primary radiating devices as near as possible to that of the steam supply, and to provide means for the removal of the air from the radiating devices. It is also essential to keep steam out of the return as much as possible, so as to have the vacuum pump to remove only air and condensed water. \Yith such a condition the drop of vacuum in the return pipe is avoided and a substantially uniform vacuum maintained throughout the return.

The vacuum systems installed up to the present time do not give entire satisfaction as proper regard has not been given to keeping out the steam from the return and to placing all of the radiating devices und'er practically the same and uniform conditions. These systems use automatic valveswhich pass the water of condensation from atmospheric pressure and a temperature of 212 degrees F. into a pressure in many plants as low as five pounds'absolute and 160 degrees F. T/Vater under these conditions will give off almost 5% of its weight into steam, and this steam will have a volume nearly three times as large as steam at atmospheric pressure. One and a half pounds of steam under these conditions will occu y about 110 cubic feet. It will thus readily be seen that if for every thirty pounds of water passed under these conditions through an automatic valve, al-

most 110 cubic feet of steam are generated at a temperature of 160 degrees F, a device of this 0 aracter delivering water only, under these conditions, is an impossibility For a rather large plant using the old system, a return pressure of five pounds absolute may be assumed as a fair standard. With the supply at atmospheric pressure at the beginning of the line and the return at the pump at five ounds absolute, a difference of ten poun s exist between the two sides of the automatic valves in the radiators located near that place. As the distance from the beginningof the line increases, the pressure in t e steam supply falls very slowly so that at the farthest end of the system,-it

may be from fourteento thirteen ounds absolute. In the return, however, t e pressure mcreases very rapidly from the pump to the farthest end so that there will be a pressure of from thirteen to twelve pounds absolute at the farthest end. The necessity of creating and maintaining this difference of. pressure of one pound at the most remote point of the system compels the use of the before assumed five pounds absolute pressure at'the pump. 'There is therefore a gradually de creasing difference of pressure in going from the pump to the most remote oint of the system and no two'valves worr under the same conditions.

The increase of pressure in the return-line from the pump to the most remote point depends upon the length of the run, the number of units, and whether a considerable number of units are near the beginning of the run and so subject to the high difierence of pressure. This extremely large increase in pressure in the return main is caused b the quantity of steam brought back throng the return main being more than the capacity of the pipe, and makes necessary the use of either a large amount of jet water, or the use of a very large vacuum pump, or'sometimes both.

To cut down the quantity of steam assing into the return, I reduce the steam eakage through the ports of the automatic valves from that due to a ten pound difference of pressure to that due to a difference of pressure of one-quarter pound or less. This is made possible by theemployment of the previously described pressure regulating valve which is placed in the return and maintains therein a pressure at a constant predetermined amount below that in the supply.

As shown in Fig. 1 these pressure regulating valves are placed in the branch return pipes from the radiating devices and control the flow of fluid by checking. or releasing the pressure on the inlet side of the valve, as

the difference of pressure is respectively inyond the valve an depends only on the pressures in the supply pipe and the return to the valve.

I also obtain the advantages of a surface .radiating devices auxiliary radiating surfaces of suflicient ca acity to condense the steam passing throug the automatic valves of the primary radiating devices, the steam formed by the Water from' the primary radiating devices entering a chamber of lower pressure, and to cool the water thus condensed and the air a definite amount.

The initial condition of lower ressure in the auxiliary radiating devices is obtained by causing the air to -flow through the pressure regulating valve into the lower pressure of the main return at first faster than it can enter through the leakage port of the automatic valve thereby causing the pressure to drop the desired amount. The pressure regulating valve then partly closesthe passage through itself. Thereafter the flow of air through the regulating valve-will depend upon the rate of condensation, the difierence in pressure being kept constant. If the rate of condensation in the auxiliary radiating device becomes so rapid as to reduce the pressure in it, the pressure regulating valve closes against the passage of air and holds .the air back until the pressure rises to reestablish the desired difierence. To secure a difierent heating effect, it is only necessary to increase or decrease the difference of pressure in order to increase or decrease the amount of heat radiated.- If the, difference be increased, steamwill have be condensed more rapidly in the auxlliary radiator, thus lowering the pressuretherein and assisting in maintaining the desired difference. v

It will thus be seen that by varying the difierence in pressure between the supply and the return by means of the pressure regulating valve, a corresponding variation in the condensation is effected and a consequent variation in the amount of heat radiated. The pressure regulating valve is i usually placed so as. to be readily accessible to the engineer in charge and it thus becomes a simple matter tovary the heating eflect of the radiating devices. In plants of considerable magnitude-the system is divided into a number of sections, each section having its own pressure regulating valve, said valve being placed 'dire'ctly under the control of the engineer in charge. Even should this valve be closed against the passageof air, it will still remove the waterof condensation,

as the static headof the Water gathering,

.upon the diaphragm causes it to act as a steam trap. An automatic valve may be laced' in the base of a radiator as shown in ig. 4, thus-combining the primary and aux- 5 iliaryradiator intoone. A light check valve iliary radiator to prevent heating fromf the return. A further control ofthe radiating the amount of steam supplied through the inlet valve to the primary radiator. I I What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Ina steam heating system, the combination of a steam supply pipe, a return for the air and for the Water of condensation, a primary radiating device communicating with the steam supply pipe, an auxiliary radiating device' communicating with the outlet of the primary radiating device and with the return, and means within said comiliary radiating devices for restricting the flow of fluld, and means beyond said means within the communication acting to autotheinlet side of said meansand to control the flow through said return.

2. In a steam heating. system, the combination of a steam supply ipe, a return a primary radiating device communicating with the steam supply pipe, an auxiliary outlet of the primary radiating device and with the return, and means within said communication between therimary and auxiliary radiating devices or restricting the ilow of fluid, and means beyond'said radiating devices located in the return, and acting to automaticall control the pressure in the flow through said return.

3. In a steam heating system, the'combination of a steam supply pipe, a return for the air and for the water of condensation, a primary radiating device communicating with the steam supply pipe, an auxiliary radiating device communicating with the outlet of the primary radiating device and with the return, means withinsaid communication between the primary and auxiliary .devices for restricting the flow of fluid, and means for automatically establishing a predetermined substantially constant difierreturn;

binationiof a st eam supply ,pipe, a return forthe air and for the water of'condensation, a primary radiating device communicating with, the steam supply pipe, an auxiliaryradiating device communicating with the outlet of the primary radiating device and with the return, means within said communication between the primary-and. auxiliary radiating devices for restricting. the flow of fluid, and means for automatically controlling the erence of pressure between the V supply and the return5 radiating device communicating with the ence-of pressure between the supply and th may also be placed on the outlet of the aux-" combination is made possible by varying" munication between the primary and aux- I matically control the pressure existing on for the air and forthe water 0 condensation, I

inlet side of said means and to controlthe 4. In a steam heating system, the com-'- In a steam heating system, the combination of a steam supply pipe, a return for the air and for the water of condensation, a primary radiating device communicating with the steam supply pipe, an auxiliary radiating device communicating with. the outlet of the primary radiating device and with the return, means within said communicalion between the primary and auxiliary radiating devices for restricting the Ilow of lluid, means beyond the auxiliary radiating device for automatically restricting the flow of lluid, and means for controlling the dift'crence of pressure between the supply and the return.

6. In a steam heating system, the combination ol a steam supply pipe, a return for the air and for the water of condensation,

a primary radiating device communieatiug 5 with the strum supply pipe, an auxiliary ra- (hating device communicating with the outi let oi the primary radiating device and with the rel urn, means within said communication 1 adapted to restrict the flow thcrcthrough to yield to an increasing ditl'erence ol' pressu re, and means for automatically controlling the difi'erence of pressure between the supply and the return.

7. in a steam heating system, the combination oi a steam supply pipe, a return for the air and tor the water of condensation, a primary radiating device communicating with the steam supply pipe, an auxiliarv ral .diating device communicating with the outlet ol' the primary radiating device and with the return, an automatic valve in said communication between the primary and auxiliary radiating device, and a pressure regulating valve l'or automatically controlling the dill'erence of pressure between the supply and the return.

In a steam heating system, the combination of a steam supply pipe, a return for the air and for the water of condensation, a primary radiating device communicating with the steam supply pipe, an inlet valve to the primary radiating device, an auxiliary radiating device communicating with the outlet of the primary radiating device and with the return, an automatic. valve at outlet of said primary radiating device, and a pressure regulating valve in the return from said auxiliary radiator for automatically controlling the ditlerence of pressure between the supply and the return.

9. In a steam heating system, the combination of a steam supply pipe, a return for the air and for the water of condensation, a primary radiating device communicating with the steam supply pipe, an auxiliary ra diatingdevice commumcatmg with the out let of the primary radiating device and with l l l the return, an automatic valve in said communication between the primary and auxiliary radiating device, provided with a 'yield ing valve piece having a conical projection fitting the valve passage way, and means for automatically controlling the ditl'erenee of pressure between the supply and the return.

10. In a steam heating system, the combination of a steam supply pipe, a return for the air and for the water of condensation, a primary radiating device communicating with the steam supply pipe, an auxiliary radiating device communicating with the outlet ot the primary radiating device and with the return, an automatic valve in said communication between the primary and auxiliary radiating device, provided with a yielding valve piece having a conical projection "litting the valve passage way, and a pressure regulating valve in the return from said auxiliary radiator [or automatically controlling the dill'erencc of pressure between the supply and the return.

1]. In a steam heating system, the combination of a steam supply pipe, a return for the air and for the water of condensation, a primary radiating device communicating with the steam supply pipe and provided with av chamber tor cooling the water of con densation, an auxiliary radiating device communicating with the outlet of the said primary radiating device and with the return, means within said communication between the primary and auxiliary radiating devices for restricting the [low of lluid, and

means for automatically controlling the difference of pressure between the supply and the return.

12. In a steam heating system, the combination of a steam supply pipe, a return for the air and for the water of condensation, a primary radiating device communcating with the steam supply pipe and provided with a chamber for cooling the water of condensation, an auxiliary radiating device communicating with the outlet of the primary radiating device and with the return and provided with a chamber for cooling the water of condensation, means within said communication between primary and aux iliary radiating devices for restricting the flow of lluid, and means for automatically controlling the difl'erence of pressure between the supply and the return.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 20th day of October 1902.

. JAMES A. DONNELLY. Witnesses:

GEORGE W. Ersnnnausn, WILLIAM T. DONNELLY.